H.R. 8637

119 HR 8637 IH: Release Your Taxes Act of 2026
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-04-30
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 8637  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   April 30, 2026   Ms. Stevens  introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on House Administration    A BILL
To require incumbent and aspiring Members of Congress to disclose their income tax returns, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Release Your Taxes Act of 2026  .
2.
Disclosure of Federal income tax return
(a)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Appropriate congressional officials
The term  appropriate congressional officials  means the following:
(A)
The Clerk of the House of Representatives.
(B)
The Secretary of the Senate.
(2)
Congressional candidate
The term  congressional candidate  means a candidate, as such term is defined under section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, who seeks nomination for election, or election, to the office of Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
(3)
Member of Congress
The term  Member of Congress  means a Senator or Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
(4)
Tax return filing
The term  tax return filing  means any of the following:
(A)
Form 1040 and Schedule A filed with a return of tax under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the equivalent successor forms or schedules.
(B)
An application or request for extension of the due date for return of tax under such Code.
(C)
The statement referred to in subsection (d)(3).
(b)
Establishment of tax return database
The appropriate congressional officials shall—
(1)
establish a database containing every tax return filing submitted to the appropriate congressional officials pursuant to this section; and
(2)
prescribe from time to time such rules necessary to carry out this section.
(c)
Publication of database
The appropriate congressional officials shall publish—
(1)
the database established under subsection (b) on a website available to the general public under the authority of appropriate congressional officials; and
(2)
each tax return filing received by the appropriate congressional officials through the database within 5 business days after the date on which the appropriate congressional officials received the filing.
(d)
Disclosure requirement
(1)
In general
An individual shall submit to the appropriate congressional officials a tax return filing pertaining to the individual not later than 2 business days after the date of the filing of the tax return filing pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 if any of the following apply:
(A)
The individual is a Member of Congress or a congressional candidate for any part of the tax year with respect to which the tax return filing pertains.
(B)
The individual is a Member of Congress or a congressional candidate for any part of the calendar year in which the individual files the tax return filing.
(2)
Change in office status after filing
An individual who is not a Member of Congress or a congressional candidate on the date that the individual files a tax return filing pertaining to the individual and becomes a Member of Congress or congressional candidate after such date in the same calendar year shall submit the tax return filing to the appropriate congressional officials not later than 30 days after the individual becomes a Member of Congress or congressional candidate.
(3)
Absence of tax return
An individual who would be subject to the requirements under paragraph (1) or (2) if the individual were to be required to file a return of tax under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 with respect to a tax year but is not actually required to file such a return for such tax year shall submit to the appropriate congressional officials a statement explaining that the individual is not required to file the return not later than the due date that would apply for filing the return.
(e)
Failure of compliance
The appropriate congressional officials—
(1)
shall include promptly in the website referred to in subsection (c)(1) the name of any individual who does not comply with a requirement under subsection (d) notwithstanding a duty to comply with the requirement; and
(2)
shall not remove the name of such individual from the website unless and until—
(A)
the individual complies with the requirement; or
(B)
more than 6 years have elapsed after the date on which the individual is no longer a Member of Congress or a congressional candidate.
(f)
Transition provisions
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this section, an individual who is a Member of Congress or a congressional candidate on such date shall submit to the appropriate congressional officials any tax return filing that was filed in the calendar year of the date of the enactment that would have been required to be submitted to the appropriate congressional officials under subsection (d) if this section were in effect from the start of the calendar year.
(g)
Applicability
This section shall apply with respect to a return of tax under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for a tax year that begins in 2025 or each succeeding year.